Question
A friend has a sheffelera that is about five feet high and just as wide or wider.  The plant is now all roots in the pot, but repotting it will make it too big to move indoors during cold weather.  Can anything be done to keep it the same size and still survive?  

Answer
Hi Adrienne,

Good question! There are two possibilities.

The first is to leave it as is and water it more frequently. Roots do not care if they are tightly bound. As long as they get enough water and nutrients all is well. This is a surprisingly simple solution that is often overlooked. The only downside is that you have to water more frequently.

The other option is to root prune. That means slicing off the outer inch of soil all around the circumference and the bottom of the rootball. Then add an inch of fresh soil in the bottom of the pot, put the slimmed down rootball back in, and fill in the sides with fresh soil. This will give the roots more room to grow and it will provide more soil to absorb and retain moisture for a longer time. BTW, cutting through roots, even large ones, will not harm the plant.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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